Chicopee Police officer injured while making drug arrest

CHICOPEE - One police officer was injured while arresting two people on drug charges Thursday evening.

Police received a call at about 4:55 p.m. from staff at Rite Aide, who reported a suspicious man wandering aimlessly in the aisles of the store at 1-5 St. James Ave., said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer.

Officer Nick Smith responded and started to talk to the man, who had been wandering around the store for some time and rapidly walking in the aisles. The man, who said he was trying to kill time, said he had no identification and gave a false social security number to police, Wilk said.

"He was also speaking in incomprehensible sentences," Wilk said.

He told Smith he had been driven to the store by a woman who was still in the car. Officer Sean Livingstone, who had arrived as backup, located the car and found the woman asleep in the passenger seat. "Further investigation revealed that neither party knew the owner of the car, and that the male party just saw the keys in it and drove it," Wilk said.

Livingstone then observed white powder, believed to be drugs, in the car. Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found 11 bags of heroin and some cocaine and the two officers placed the man and women under arrest, he said.

When he attempted to arrest them man he began screaming: "It's not mine," he said.

"During the arrest, Officer Smith attempted to control the suspect, who was actively resisting, and struck his head on a brick wall, cutting his head open, damaging his glasses and injuring his arm," Wilk said.

Robert Duchesne, 41, of 53 Freeman Terrace, Springfield, was charged with possession of heroin and cocaine, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Gale Brown, 53, of 1508 Memorial Drive, Chicopee was charged with possession of cocaine, Wilk said.

The two are scheduled to be arraigned in Chicopee District Court on Friday, he said.